Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-21
DAILY HERALD.
YOSEMITE VALLEY.
The Grandest Scenery on
the Earth.
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION.
What a Correspondent Of an
Earnest Paper Saw and
81 Told of 1t.


the glories and beauties Of the Yosem-
lie Valley, California, in a letter to the
Albany Journal;
Nothing could better evidence re-
fined taste and a high idea Of the true
elements of beauty and sublimity in
nature than due appreciation Of Yo-
semitic. The Sierra Nevada mountains,
lifting their snowy heads to the sky,
give rise to the strangest fancies as
seen extending for hundred miles or
more along the line Of the Southern
Pacific. The creative mind can scarcely
contemplate the hidden mysteries that
reign within their deep Businesses
without many wild flight OF imagi-
nation and a constantly growing
desire to explore them. This, at least,
was the situation as regards the party
of four, in which the writer is joined
in one of the most interesting and de-
'lightful trips ever made to the Yo-
semitic. As we beheld from the car
windows these massive mountain
walls towering with such sublimity
against the eastern sky, we deter
mined to find out what secret Won
,ders they might contain.
As result of this determination the
next morning found us dashing away
behind a span of eager bays, destined
70 these stately peaks and this far
famed valley which some writer has
called ''the Growing glory Of all views
on the continent" Rapidly leaving
in the rear both the retreating plains
and the vainly pursuing cloud OF dust,
we soon reached the rolling foothills
that moderately rose up before us,
brilliantly studded with curiously col
cred rocks. The oddly blended tints
of green, yellow, orange and red, as
they appeared reflected in the
morning sun from these rocky
hills, impressingly forewarned
Ms OF the interesting mineral region
which we were fast approaching.
After penetrating a few miles into
these foothills, we entered mountain
district altogether new in character
and of more than passing interest.
Large beds of wild flowers, beautiful
orchards of live oaks, planted by na-
ture, and stately pines, bearing mon
strous cones, came into view in pleas
ing contrast with the treeless hills
below. Shortly we reached the
summit OF an elevation of moderate
height where panorama of
mountain scenery, stretching out
before us in great beauty, gave
earnest of the rich feast which
nature had in store for us beyond.
Here we also witnessed the sub
Zine spectacle of a storm in the noun
tains, which, rising up in majestic
'blackness out of the northern horizon,
threatened terror to all concerned.
Before reaching us, however, its vio-
lence became broken by intervening
peaks, SO that, beyond the wreck of a
eilk umbrella and a slight dampening
of our elated spirits, no inconvenience
was suffered. The shades of night
were now falling with great solemnity
upon the "pine-clad hills" of the Sier-
ras, and four pilgrims began to show
some anxiety as to the whereabouts OF
the next station. Shortly after dark,
however, we succeeded in reaching a
small mountain settlement bearing
the significant if not sonorous name,
Grub Gulch.
Here we were Hospitality entertain
ed by an aged Kentuckian who had a
dignity of stature of six and one-half
feet. Everything grows big in this
region-from the sequoid big trees to
the inn-keeper's yarns.
Yesterday morning we started out
from Grub Gulch (which by the way,
the express company has tried in vain
to rob of its historical associations by
calling it Oakwood) and proceeded to
climb the hills that rose up before us
/ n endless succession. The mountain
GUS country which we passed pos
sesed an interesting flora, and pre-
scented a number of charming views,
besides an occasional novelty like the
wooden flume, many miles in length,
used for rafting lumber down the
mountains. Progress, however, was
too slow to make the days journey
exciting, and the glow of emotion
with which we hailed the open valley
that revealed the lights Of Big Tree
station will be recalled hereafter as
the brightest experience of this part
of the trip. Here we rested for the
night. This morning, after an uphill
ride of dozen miles, in which was
seen fine herd of deer crossing the
road just in front of us, we reached
the summit of the mountains-over a
mile above the sea level. Some con-
ception of the amount of climbing
performed, however, may be inferred
from the fact that, in the last IL miles
alone, we gained but 459 feet of altitude
out of the l642 that We had actually
risen. At this station refreshments
were served up to the party by an old
trapper and his fraternity, who pro-
vided in their rude cabin, the only ho-
tel accommodations between Big Trees
and the Yosemite.
After advancing several miles we
reached an opening in the almost in
terminable forest, whence our eyes
were greeted by another beautiful
panorama of mountain scenery. Be-
yond the deep, picturesque gorge, on
the verge of which the mountain road
way extends for several miles, could
be seen hills and mountains rolling
away, one above another, far in the
distance, and even the Coast range
ut least hundred miles to the
west, standing in dim outline
against the sky. But behold! What
is this? All at once we reach the
height overlooking the valley. A
sign-board discloses the fact that We
are on the Peak Of Inspiration. 1t is
however, precipice rather than {
peak. But in the matter of inspiration
there could be no question, as the
Yosemite unfolded it's robes OF match
less Beauty before us.
EARTH's MOST IMPOSING ROCK.
Here, facing lis from the opposite
side of the valley, is huge promon
tory of granite having smooth
polished sides, handsomely striped
..,,l:.. +.,,fa of l.rht and ohnIa